Valve-unit attachment for a sectional rotary pipe of a well-drilling apparatus



AL ROTARY PIPE OF A WELL ATU 1927 Feb. 28, 1928.

J. L. THOMAS VALVE UNIT ATTACHMENT FOR A SECTION DRILLING APPAR Filed Sept. 6.

Patented Feb. 28, 1928.

UNITED STATES;

JACK L. THOMAS, OF WEWOKA, OKLAHOMA.

VALVE-UNIT ATTACHMENT FOR A SECTIONAL ROTARY I PIPE OF A 'WELL DRILLING APPARATUS. r

Application filed September 6, 1927. Serial No. 217,784.

The present invention relates'to improvements in rotary sectional pipes such as are employed in connection with a well drilling apparatus and has reference more particularly to a valve unit attachment for such sectional rotary pipes.

One of the important objects of the'present invention is to provide a means for preventing the fiow of the mud laden fluid upwardly through the rotary pipe when the pipe has been lowered into the well, said means being moved to an open position by the action of the. circulating fluid which is forced downwardly through the rotary pipe by pressure whereby. to allow the free passage of the upwardly flowing mud-laden fluid after the pipe hasr-eacl1ed the bottom of the well. 1

A further object of the invention is. to provide a valve unit which will at all times be positive and etficient in its operation, the same being further of such construction as to permit the ready installation of the unit between the adjacent ends of one pair of pipe sections comprising the rotary pipe.

A still further object is to provide a valve unit attachment of the above mentioned character which is simple in construction, inexpensive, strong and durable and further well adapted to the purpose for which it is designed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent during the course of the following description. I

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout .the

same:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the valve unit attachment embodying my invention showing the same associated with the adjacent ends of a pair of pipe sections, and

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of Figure 1 look ing in a downward direction.

In the drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 1 designates the tubular body portion of the unit, the same being in the form of a pipe and which pipe is substantially of the same inner and outer diameters as the adjacent sections 2 and 3 of the rotary pipe between which sections the tubular body is to be disposed.

The lower end of the tubular body is formed with the tapered externally threaded neck 4 which is threaded into the similar shaped internally threaded socket 5 provided in the upper end of the lower pipe section 2. v

The upper end of this tubular body 1 is formed with a downwardly tapered threaded socket 6 for receiving the externally threaded tapered neck portion 7 formed on the lower end of the upper pipe section.

'as is clearly illustrated in Figure 1 of the The lower end of the neck 7 of drawing. the upper pipe section 3 does not extend to the bottom of thesocket 6 and detachably supported within the space provided between the lower end of the neck 7 and the bottom of the socket 6 is the threaded plug 8, the same being formed with a central bore 9 and as is clearlyshown in the drawing the outer peripheral face of this plug is tapered to conform to the tapered socket 6.

The bottom face of the plug 8 around the bore 9 forms a valve seat with which cooperates the conical shaped valve 10 in the manner shown-in the full lines in Figure 1 for closing the bore 9 and preventing com,- munication between the tubular body 1 and the upper section 3 of the rotary pipe.

This valve is secured on the upper end of the elongated stem 11 which is' slidable through the guide .boss 12 formed on the intermediate portion of the "member 13 and this member is formed with a pair of diametrically opposed laterally projecting arms 14. A rod 15 is pivotally secured at its lower end to the outer end ofeach of the laterally extending arms 14 and the upper ends of these rods are threaded for engagement within suitable threaded recesses formed'therefor at a pair of diametrically opposed points in the bottom of the plug 8, as also very clearly disclosed in Figure 1. These vertical rods 15 provide a means for supporting the guide boss through which the valve stem 11 is slidable.

The'upper face of the plug 8 is formed with suitable recesses shown at 16' to accommodate a spannerWr-ench. whereby said plug may be inserted or removed with respect to the tubular body socket 6.

A pin 17 extends transversely through a suitable eye provided therefor in the lower endof the valve stem 11 and carried by this pin are the complementary semi-circular sections 18 and 19, respectively, which sections form a valve stem actuating disc in the man-- ner to be presently described. The adjacent edges of these sections are formed with interfitting looped portions through which the pin 17 extends thus forming a hinged connection between the complementary sections 18 and 19 and for the purpose of preventing the movement of the sections to a closed position there is formed on one of the sections a depending angularly disposed pin 20 and'th'e manner in which this pin functions is clearly disclosed in the dotted lines in Figure 1.

The operation of my improved valve unitattachment maybe briefly described as,

follows. In lowering the rotary pipe carrying myattachment downwardly into a well, the valve stem 11 is in its lowermost position so that the valve is out of engagement with'the plug 8 and the same rests on the guide boss 12, while the complementary sections 18 and 19 of the valve actuating disc are disposed in a substantially vertical position, the pin preventing the sections from comlngin contact with each other, and furthermore-causing 'the sections to be slightly disposed in an open position whereby the same can be readily subjected to the mud laden fluid.

As soon as the rotary pipe strikes the mud laden fluid, said fluid will exert an equal .pressure on the complementary sections of rotary pipe.

the valve actuating disc, thereby forcing the sections to a horizontal position, it being understood of course that any appropriate means may b'e'provided for limiting the upward swinging movement of the sections, and when said sections 18 and 19 are in a fully opened position, the force of the mud.

laden fluid will act directly upon the disc,

thereby-raising the valve stem 11 and the valve 10 carried on the upper end thereof so that the valve will seat against the plug 8 and thereby cut off communication between the ,tubular body 1 and the upper pipe section 3 so that the mud circulating fluid can not pass upwardly through the After the rotary pipe has reached the bottom of the well, and a circulating fluid is forced downwardly through the pipe, the pressure 'of said uid will act against the valve 10 to inovethe same downwardly to an open position as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1 so that said fluid will enter the any material alterations of the parts of the rotary pipe with which the unit is to be associated, and furthermore said valve mechanism will at all times be positive and eflicient in its operation.

\Vhile I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be un-- derstood that various changes in the size, shape and-arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to seizure by Letters Patent is I 1. Ina valve unit attachment for a sectional rotary pipe of a drilling apparatus, a tubular body adapted for disposition between the adjacent ends of a pair of sections of said rotary pipe, a valve seat supported in the upper portion of the tubular body and aflording communication between the tubular body and the upper pipe section, a valve stem slidable vertically in the tubular body, guide ;means therefor, a valve on the upper end of the stem for cooperation with said valve seat to cut off communication between the tubular body and the upper pipe section, means carried by the lower end of the valve stem for moving the normally lowered valve stem to a raised position to bring the valve into engagement with the seat when said means-comes in contact with the mud laden fluid passing upwardly into the tubular body, said last mentioned means comprising a pair of complementary disc forming sections hingedly connected together and carried by the lower end of the valve stem.

2. In a valve unit attachment for a sectional r'otary pipe of a drilling apparatus, a

tubular body adapted for. disposition bestem for moving the normally lowered valve stem to a raised position to bring the valve into engagement with the seat when said means comes in contact with the mud laden fluid passing upwardly into the tubular body, said last mentioned means comprising 3. In a valve unit attachment for a see- I tional rotary pipe of a drilling apparatus, a-

tubular body adapted for disposition between the adjacent ends of a pair of sections of said rotary pipe, a valve seat supported in the upper portion of the tubular body and affording communication between the tubular body and the upper pipe section, rods secured at their upper ends to the bottom of the valve seat and extending downwardly into the tubular body, a cross member carried by the tower ends of the rods, a valve stem slidable vertically through the central portion of the cross member, a valve on the upper end of the stem for cooperation with the valve seat to cut oil communication be? tween the tubular body and the upper pipe section, and means carried by the lower end of the valve stem for moving the normally towered valve stem to a raised position to bring the valves into engagement with the seat when said means comes in contact with the mud-laden fluid passing upwardly into the tubular body.

4. Ina valve unit attachment for a sectional rotary pipeof a drilling apparatus, a tubular body adapted for disposition between the adjacent ends of a pair of sections of said rotary pipe, a valve seat supported in the upper portion of the tubular body and affording communication betweenthe tubular'body and the upper pipe section, rods secured at their upper ends to the bottom of the valve seat and extending downwardly the valve seat to cut oil communication be-' tween the tubular body and the upper pipe section, and a pair of complementary disc forming sections hingedly connected to gether and carried by the lower end of the valve stem and normally disposed in an inoperative position, said sections adapted to he moved-to a horizontal position when in contact with the mud-laden fluid passing upwardly into the tubular body, the valve stem being raised tobring the valve into engagement with the seat when the sections are in a horizontal position and in contact with said fluid.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JACK L. THOMAS.

into the tubular body, a cross member car- 

